Perfect storm can ruin the perfect holiday

By Debbie Olsen, For the Calgary HeraldSeptember 14, 2009

Do you remember Wilma? Mitch? Dean? When the storm approaching your holiday spot has a name, it's never a good sign.

Despite forecasts of a busier than average hurricane season, the idea of a cheap family vacation on a tropical beach was just too appealing for us -- especially when we found a last-minute airfare deal to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for $199 plus tax per person.

With off-season rates for hotels and tours, we saved a bundle on the total cost of our vacation. Add to this the fact we didn't have to fight off other tourists for a coveted beach-front lounge chair and our late summer vacation seemed almost perfect.

At least, until we heard the hurricane reports. Nothing short of a perfect storm could ruin our perfect holiday.

Fortunately for us, the hurricane in question was headed towards the other side of the country.

While hundreds of vacationers were frantically trying to exit Cancun before hurricane Dean hit the Yucatan Peninsula in late August, our family was relaxing on a beach. By the time Dean travelled inland to reach Puerto Vallarta, the Category 5 hurricane had been downgraded to little more than a remnant low.

In its weakened state, it could no longer be described as a perfect storm and yet Dean's heavy rains wreaked havoc on the city of Puerto Vallarta. Businesses shut down and traffic flow was hindered for the better part of a day in the downtown areas of the city.

Although it made our vacation less than ideal, we only spent one day hiding out from the rain and enjoyed six days of sun, sand and surf. Sometimes a last-minute deal during hurricane season can work out well.

Hurricane-proof your vacation

You take a chance when you are travelling to tropical locales during hurricane season, but there are a few things you can do to reduce your risk and protect your vacation investment.

Here are a few tips if you plan to take advantage of low rates on flights and hotels to a tropical destination this fall.

Know the season

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 and the eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 to Nov. 30, but the peak season is from mid-August to late October. The Atlantic basin includes the

Some destinations have a higher incidence of hurricanes and named storms than others.

Puerto Vallarta has a lower risk of named storms than Cancun, for example. Bermuda and Miami have approximately a one-in-four annual risk of being affected by a hurricane. The odds for Nassau, Bahamas, are about one-in-five.

The islands of the western Caribbean are less likely to be affected by hurricanes than those of the eastern Caribbean. The southernmost Caribbean islands (Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Grenada, Trinidad, Tobago) are rarely hit by hurricanes.

A recent Dow Jones Island Index assessing hurricane risk rated Curacao as the Caribbean island least likely to be hit by a hurricane, followed by Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Barbados and Aruba.

For a look at the return frequency of hurricanes in the United States, visit nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/basics/return.shtml.

Trip insurance

In most cases, when a severe hurricane is expected, airlines begin booking passengers on whatever flight they have to get them out.

The problem comes when the prediction is not precise.

Airlines will generally not change your flights without significant fees unless they are fairly certain there is an imminent risk.

Some passengers who tried to leave Cancun ahead of hurricane Wilma in 2005 were charged hundreds of dollars in additional fees.

Trip cancellation and interruption insurance costs about five per cent of the cost of your entire trip, but it can refund your money if your trip is delayed due to severe weather or for other reasons.

It also provides protection from other unforeseen problems.

Some tour companies and resorts offer their own hurricane insurance programs.

It's a good idea to inquire about hurricane insurance policies before you book your vacation.

What's in a name?

Have you ever wondered why some storms have names and how those names are chosen? For information on the history of naming storms or to view a list of storm names for the next six years worldwide, visit the National Hurricane Center website: nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml.

Debbie Olsen is an Alberta-based freelance travel writer and mother of four.